Methods and systems for transferring information between a movable system and another system

ABSTRACT

Methods and systems for transferring information between a movable system and another system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many systems (such as, for example, scanners, printers, and recordingdevices) include, within the system enclosure, a movable subsystem andanother subsystem, where the two subsystems transfer information.

A typical example is the image acquisition subsystem in a scanner andthe processing subsystem. In such an example, the image acquisitionsubsystem includes an image acquisition device that acquires a scannedimage. The scanned image data has to be transferred to the processingsubsystem. However, typically the image acquisition subsystem moves overthe item to be scanned. In conventional systems, a flexible cableconnects the image acquisition subsystem to the processing subsystem. Inapplications where the data rate of the information being transferredbetween the two subsystems is high, the presence of a long cable canresult in signal degradation and the cable itself to serve as a sourceof radiofrequency interference, either by transmitting or receivingradiofrequency interference. The continued motion of the cable can alsoresult in quality problems.

Furthermore, although in recent years there has been significant effortin reducing the impedance of connections, there are practical (such ascost) and physical limits to the decrease in the impedance ofconnections. The impedance of the connection is a factor in thedegradation of the signal in a long connection.

The above described problems are typical of a movable subsystemconnected to another subsystem by a flexible cable. There it is,therefore, a need for a more reliable method of connecting a movablesubsystem to another subsystem.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One embodiment of the system of this invention includes a movablesubsystem operatively connected to a structure. In one instance, themovable subsystem includes an electrical component capable of providingelectrical signals, where the electrical signals comprise information, asource of electromagnetic radiation, and a modulating component capableof receiving the electrical signals and of modulating the source ofelectromagnetic radiation, wherein the modulated electromagneticradiation comprises the information. One embodiment of the system ofthis invention also includes another subsystem operatively connected tothe structure, where the other subsystem includes a receiving componentcapable of receiving electromagnetic radiation emanating from the sourceof electromagnetic radiation and of converting the receivedelectromagnetic radiation into other electrical signals, and anotherelectrical component capable of receiving the other electrical signals.In a further embodiment, the movable subsystem also includes a receivingcomponent and the other subsystem also includes a source ofelectromagnetic radiation and a modulating component.

For a better understanding of the present invention, together with otherand further needs thereof, reference is made to the accompanyingdrawings and detailed description and its scope will be pointed out inthe appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a pictorial schematic description of an embodiment of thesystem of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a pictorial schematic description of another embodiment of thesystem of this invention;

FIG. 3 is a pictorial schematic description of yet another embodiment ofthe system of this invention; and

FIG. 4 is a pictorial schematic description of a further embodiment ofthe system of this invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Unless defined otherwise below, all technical and scientific terms usedherein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinaryskill in the art to which this invention belongs. Still, certain termsare defined herein for the sake of clarity.

The following definitions are provided for specific terms that are usedin the following written description.

The term “RF signals,” as used herein, refers to the portion of theelectromagnetic radiation spectrum below 10¹² Hz (below 1000 GHz).

The term “optical signal,” as used herein, refers to the portion of theelectromagnetic radiation spectrum above 10¹¹ Hz (infrared and above,including visible, ultraviolet, x-ray radiation and above).

The term “electrical signal,” as used herein, refers to a signal that istransmitted by means of wired connections.

The term “imager,” as used herein, refers to a device that convertsoptical signals into electrical signals and enables the acquiring ofelectrical signals representing an image.

An embodiment 10 of the system of this invention is shown in FIG. 1.Referring to FIG. 1, the embodiment 10 shown therein includes a movablesubsystem 15 and another subsystem 20, which in the embodiment shown isa fixed subsystem. The movable subsystem 15 is operatively connected tothe structure 25. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, two support rails30 are attached to the structure 25. In one embodiment, the system ofthis invention not being limited only to this embodiment, the movablesubsystem 15 is movably mounted on the two support rails 30 by means ofrollers 27. In other embodiments (not shown), the movable subsystem 15may be coupled to a lead screw, which is driven by a motor attached tothe structure 25, or, the movable subsystem 15 may be attached to a camfollower that moved on a cam driven by a motor attached to the structure25. (The above are only a few of the many possible mechanical designsfor a movable subsystem operatively connected to a structure.) Themovable subsystem 15 includes an electrical component 35 capable ofproviding electrical signals, where the electrical signals carryinformation. In one embodiment the electrical component is an imager,such as, but not limited to, a CCD or CMOS imager, that receives imageoptical information and converts it to image electrical information. Theelectrical information originating at the electrical component 35 can bereceived at a modulating component 40. The modulating component 40 iscapable of modulating a source of electromagnetic radiation 45 so thatthe electromagnetic radiation emitted by the source 45 carries theinformation that was carried by the electrical signals. In theembodiment shown in FIG. 1, the source of electromagnetic radiation isan antenna 45. The modulating component 40, when the source ofelectromagnetic radiation is an antenna, is a modulator/transmitter (aconventional component in radio/RF systems).

The other subsystem 20 in FIG. 1 includes a receiving component 50 thatis capable of receiving the electromagnetic radiation emitted by thesource 45. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the receiving component 50is another antenna 50 connected to a receiver 55. The other antenna 50converts the electromagnetic radiation received from the source 45 intomodulated electrical signals. The receiver 55 demodulates the modulatedelectrical signals and provides the demodulated electrical signals toanother electrical component 60. The information that was carried by themodulated electromagnetic radiation emitted by the source 45 is carriedby the demodulated electrical signals received by the other electricalcomponent 60.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the source 45 and the receivingcomponent 50 are substantially collinear. In embodiments in which thesource 45 and the receiving component 50 are substantially collinear,the source 45 and the receiving component 50 are substantially alignedwith respect to which other. There are embodiments of this invention inwhich the source 45 and the receiving component 50 are substantiallyaligned with respect to each other without being collinear.

In the embodiment in which the source of electromagnetic radiation is anantenna and the receiving component is another antenna, embodiments inwhich the source antenna is substantially omnidirectional do not have tobe necessarily aligned. The decision to select an embodiment where thesource and the receiving component are aligned involves considerationsof cost, power requirements, and electromagnetic interference andcompatibility.

In embodiments, such as the embodiment 10 shown in FIG. 1, in which thesource 45 and the receiving component 50 are RF antennae, the modulatingcomponent 40 and the receiver/demodulator can be selected so that theyconform to one of the many available standards. Present-day standardsinclude Bluetooth, WiFi (IEEE 802.11) and quasi-standards such as UWB orwireless USB. Embodiments of the system of this invention conforming toany of these standards are within the scope of this invention.

In another embodiment, the source 45 and the receiving component 50 emitand receive radiation by near Field coupling, where such coupling can becapacitive or inductive. Such embodiments of the system of thisinvention are also within the scope of this invention. In embodimentsbased on near Field coupling, the distinction between the source 45 andthe receiving component 50 is blurred and both the source 45 and thereceiving component 50 can be considered as generalized near Fieldantennas. In some embodiments utilizing near Field coupling a samecomponent can be both a source and a receiving component.

An embodiment in which the source of electromagnetic radiation is anoptical source and the receiving component is a detector is shown inFIG. 2. Components in FIG. 2 that are similar to components in FIG. 1are labeled with the same numerical label as the corresponding componentin FIG. 1. The optical source 75 in FIG. 2 can be, in one embodiment,but is not limited to, a VCSEL (vertical Cavity Surface emitting Laser)or any other form of a laser diode or LED. The detector 80 can be one ofthe many possible optical detectors (for example, but not limited to,one of the detectors described in E. L. Dereniak, D. G. Crowe, Opticalradiation Detectors, ISBN 0-471-89797-3, 1984). In some embodiments, thereceiving component may also include a demodulator.

It should be noted that, in embodiments utilizing an optical source, theoptical source may include optical elements to collimate, focus, orotherwise modify the emitted optical beam and that the detector mayinclude optical elements to collimate, focus, or otherwise modify thereceived optical beam.

Exemplary embodiments of the system of this invention includeembodiments in which the movable subsystem 15 is a scanning subsystemand the electrical component 35 is an imager. In conventional scanners,the scanning subsystem is electrically connected to other subsystems bymeans of a cable (typically, a flexible cable) with a service loop.

An embodiment of the system of this invention in which the electricalcomponent capable of providing the electrical signals is located inanother subsystem, which is a subsystem attached to the structure, isshown in FIG. 3. Referring to FIG. 3, a subsystem 115 is attached to thestructure 125. The subsystem 115 includes an electrical component 135capable of providing electrical signals where the electrical signalscarry information, a modulating component 140 that receives theelectrical signals and modulates a source of electromagnetic radiation145. The modulated electromagnetic radiation carries the information. Amovable subsystem 120 includes a receiving component 150 that receivesthe modulated electromagnetic radiation and converts the modulatedelectromagnetic radiation into other electrical signals and anotherelectrical component 160 that receives the electrical signals obtainedfrom demodulating the electromagnetic radiation. The movable subsystem120 is operatively connected to the structure 125. The operativeconnection may be, but is not limited to, one of the embodimentsdescribed hereinabove. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the source 145of electromagnetic radiation is an antenna 145 and the receivingcomponent 150 includes another antenna and a receiver. In otherembodiments, the source 145 of electromagnetic radiation can be anoptical source and the receiving component 150 can include an opticaldetector.

An exemplary embodiment of the system shown in FIG. 3 is a printer inwhich the print head is located in the movable subsystem 120. Printinformation is generated by the electrical component 135 and has to betransmitted to the printing component 160.

It should be noted that embodiments that combine the features of theembodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 are also within the scope of thisinvention. In embodiments such as the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, themobile subsystem 220 includes a transmitting/receiving antenna 250, atransceiver 255 and an electrical component 260. The other subsystem 215includes another transmitting/receiving antenna 245, another transceiver240 and another electrical component 235. It should be noted that thetransmitting/receiving antenna 250, 245 can be to antennas and that thetransceiver 240, 255 can be a receiver and a separate modulator.

During operation of the embodiments of the system this invention,electrical signals that carry information are converted into modulatedelectromagnetic radiation, where the modulated electromagnetic radiationalso carries the information. The modulated electromagnetic radiation ispropagated between a movable subsystem and another subsystem. Thepropagated electronic radiation is received and then converted back intoelectrical signals. In that manner at the information is carried byelectrical signals initially, by electromagnetic radiation after theelectromagnetic radiation is modulated by the electrical signals, andfinally the information is carried again by electrical signals which areobtained by demodulating the electromagnetic radiation. In theembodiments of the system of this invention, the movable system isoperatively connected to a structure and the other system is alsooperatively connected to the same structure.

Although, in the embodiments shown hereinabove, one subsystem is amovable subsystem and the other subsystem is a fixed subsystem,embodiments in which both subsystems are movable are within the scope ofthis invention.

Although the invention has been described with respect to variousembodiments, it should be realized this invention is also capable of awide variety of further and other embodiments within the spirit andscope of the appended claims.

1. A system comprising: a movable subsystem operatively connected to astructure, said movable subsystem comprising: an electrical componentcapable of providing electrical signals, said electrical signalscomprising information; a source of electromagnetic radiation; amodulating component capable of receiving said electrical signals and ofmodulating said source of electromagnetic radiation, wherein modulatedelectromagnetic radiation comprises the information; and anothersubsystem operatively connected to said structure comprising: areceiving component capable of receiving electromagnetic radiationemanating from said source of electromagnetic radiation and ofconverting received electromagnetic radiation into other electricalsignals; and another electrical component capable of receiving saidother electrical signals.
 2. The system of claim 1 wherein said sourceof electromagnetic radiation and said receiving component aresubstantially aligned in respect to each other.
 3. The system of claim 2wherein said source of electromagnetic radiation and said receivingcomponent are substantially collinear.
 4. The system of claim 1 whereinsaid source of electromagnetic radiation comprises an antenna.
 5. Thesystem of claim 1 wherein said receiving component comprises an antenna.6. The system of claim 1 wherein said source of electromagneticradiation comprises an optical source and said receiving componentcomprises a detector.
 7. The system of claim 1 wherein said movablesubsystem is a scanning subsystem.
 8. The system of claim 7 wherein saidelectrical component comprises an imager.
 9. The system of claim 1wherein said another subsystem movable subsystem further comprises:another source of electromagnetic radiation; and another modulatingcomponent capable of modulating said another source of electromagneticradiation; and wherein said movable subsystem further comprises anotherreceiving component capable of receiving electromagnetic radiationemanating from said another source of electromagnetic radiation.
 10. Thesystem of claim 9 wherein said source of electromagnetic radiation andsaid another receiving component are a same component.
 11. The system ofclaim 9 wherein said receiving component and said another source ofelectromagnetic radiation are a same component.
 12. A method fortransferring information from a movable system to another system, themethod comprising the steps of: converting electrical signals intomodulated electromagnetic radiation, wherein the electrical signalscomprise the information and the modulated electromagnetic radiationalso comprises the information; propagating the modulatedelectromagnetic radiation between the movable system and the anothersystem; receiving the propagated modulated electromagnetic radiation;and converting the received modulated electromagnetic radiation intoother electrical signals, wherein the other electrical signals comprisethe information; wherein the movable system is operatively connected toa structure and the another system is also operatively connected to thestructure.
 13. The method of claim 12 wherein the electromagneticradiation is an optical signal.
 14. A system comprising: a subsystemoperatively connected to a structure, said subsystem comprising: anelectrical component capable of providing electrical signals, saidelectrical signals comprising information; a source of electromagneticradiation; a modulating component capable of receiving said electricalsignals and of modulating said source of electromagnetic radiation,wherein modulated electromagnetic radiation comprises the information;and a movable subsystem operatively connected to said structure, saidmovable subsystem comprising: a receiving component capable of receivingelectromagnetic radiation emanating from said source of electromagneticradiation and of converting received electromagnetic radiation intoother electrical signals; and another electrical component capable ofreceiving said other electrical signals.
 15. The system of claim 14wherein said source of electromagnetic radiation and said receivingcomponent are substantially aligned in respect to each other.
 16. Thesystem of claim 15 wherein said source of electromagnetic radiation andsaid receiving component are substantially collinear.
 17. The system ofclaim 14 wherein said source of electromagnetic radiation comprises anantenna.
 18. The system of claim 14 wherein said receiving componentcomprises an antenna.
 19. The system of claim 14 wherein said source ofelectromagnetic radiation comprises an optical source and said receivingcomponent comprises a detector.